A sandy slope in Makako Bay, just around the corner from Keahole Point, that works as two different dives. By day it is a garden eel colony on open sand running to about 21 metres; after dark it becomes Kona's northern manta feeding site, with the group settled on a sand chute at 12 to 14 metres and lights pointed up.
Also known as Manta Heaven, Makako Bay.
Where it is and how deep
19.7360° N, 156.0540° WApproximate position — the dashed circle shows where the site lies; your operator's briefing has the mooring.
The dive
Most divers arrive by boat, under 30 minutes out of Honokohau Marina; the shore entry exists but crosses rocky lava and is hard work in full gear. The daytime dive works the open sand, running to about 21 metres, with hundreds of garden eels standing out of the bottom in loose colonies. Depth figures differ between sources — one gives an average of 18 metres and a maximum of 24.
The night dive uses a different part of the site, a sand chute at roughly 12 to 14 metres. Guides settle the group around a ring of stones on the bottom that they call the campfire, which keeps everyone in one place and off the rest of the sand. Lights point up, plankton collects in the beams, and reef mantas work the column overhead.
Currents here are usually slight, but they can pull out to sea at low tide, which matters more if you are entering from the rocks than from a boat ladder. Stingers, urchins and eels all live in the sand, so look before you settle and keep your hands off the bottom. The water is usually very clear and the sight lines across the open sand are long, which is part of why the site works as well after dark as it does by day.
Background
The site was established as a manta viewing spot in August 1999, after the rays temporarily abandoned the older Keauhou location. It has run alongside the southern site ever since, with the divers' circle anchored on a ring of stones on the sand that guides call the campfire. Mantas here, as everywhere in Hawaii state waters, are protected under Act 92 of 2009, which made knowingly capturing or killing one a misdemeanour.
Marine life and season
- Manta rays
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Prime | Prime | Prime | Prime | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Prime |
Season follows Kona: Manta rays and reef diving are consistent year-round; Dec-Apr adds migrating humpback whales, while winter swell can occasionally limit access to exposed sites.
Know before you go
- Marine stingers, urchins and eels live on the sandy slope, so choose where you settle and keep hands off the bottom.
- A slight current can pull out to sea at low tide — check the direction before you drop and plan the return leg into it.
- The shore entry is over rocky lava and is not for beginners carrying full scuba gear; most divers take the boat instead.
Photos from Garden Eel Cove
dronepicr · CC BY 2.0
dronepicr · CC BY 2.0
dronepicr · CC BY 2.0
Dive videos
Garden Eel Cove - Makako Bay Evening Reef Scuba Dive with Kona Honu Divers · Diver Down on YouTube
What is Manta ray night dive at Garden Eel Cove · AmazingPlanet4U on YouTube
Questions divers ask
Is Garden Eel Cove the same as Manta Heaven?+
Yes. The sandy site in Makako Bay near Keahole Point is called Garden Eel Cove by day and Manta Heaven for the night dive; the separate manta site off Keauhou, further south, is Manta Village.
How deep is the manta night dive here?+
The night dive sits on a sand chute at roughly 12 to 14 metres. The daytime dive on the same site goes deeper, to about 21 metres, with a maximum of 24 reported.
Sources
- Garden Eel Cove / Manta Ray Heaven in Kailua-Kona — Zentacle
- Garden Eel Cove / Manta Heaven review — ShoreDiving.com
- Garden Eel Cove - Kona HI — DiveBuddy.com
- The 3 Manta Ray Viewing Sites in Kona, Hawaii — Manta Ray Advocates Hawaii
- Manta Ray Night Dive in Kona, Hawaii: Complete Guide — William Drumm
- Manta ray after 2009 anti-hunting law — West Hawaii Today
Photo credits
- A reef manta glides through a diver's torch beam with a remora riding on its belly and fish scattered nearby. by dronepicr, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- A manta ray glides through dark water lit only by divers' torch beams, small fish scattered around it. by dronepicr, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- A manta ray banks through an underwater light beam, its pale belly and gill slits lit up against black water. by dronepicr, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- A manta ray feeds through a swirl of small fish drawn into a diver's light beam on the night dive. by dronepicr, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
In The Logbook
- Where to dive in DecemberTrip planning · 10 min read
- Night diving: the best night dives in the worldNight diving · 12 min read
More dive sites in Kona
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Pelagic & blue water
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Night
Divers kneel on the sand at 10 m with lights aimed straight up
Pinnacle
Green turtles rest at the base while kole surgeonfish clean them
Two lava steps into turtle canyons at the Place of Refuge
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